Conventionally, a card reader has been widely utilized which is structured to read data recorded in a card and to record data in a card. In an industry such as a financial institution where a card reader is utilized, illegal acquisition of a card by a criminal who intentionally clogs the card in an inside of a card reader, i.e., so-called phishing has become a large issue. Therefore, conventionally, a card reader having a card lock mechanism for preventing phishing has been proposed (see, for example, Patent Literature 1).
In the card reader described in Patent Literature 1, the card lock mechanism includes a lock lever for preventing drawing of a card from a card insertion port. The lock lever is provided with lock teeth in a substantially triangular shape which is configured to contact with a card for preventing drawing of the card. The lock lever is turnably supported by a support pin. Further, the lock lever is connected with a motor through a connecting lever, a fan-shaped gear and a reduction gear train. The lock lever is turnable by power of the motor between a position where the lock teeth are retreated from a card conveying passage and a position where the lock teeth are contacted with the card. Further, the reduction gear train is structured of many gears. Therefore, in the card reader, a reduction gear ratio becomes large in a transmission path of power from the motor to the lock lever and thus, even when a small motor with small output is used, contact pressure of the lock teeth with a card can be secured.
In the card reader described in Patent Literature 1, when a card is abnormally stopped and the card is clogged in the card conveying passage, the card lock mechanism is operated and the lock teeth retreated from the card conveying passage are contacted with the card. In a state that the lock teeth are contacted with a card, the lock teeth are inclined to a rear side of the card reader as going toward the card. Therefore, when a card is going to be drawn out from a card insertion port, the lock teeth stick into the card and thereby drawing of the card from the card insertion port is prevented.